Microsoft Excel: In my opinion, Powerful but Bloated – Is It Still the Best Tool for the Job?
March 05, 2025

Microsoft Excel: In my opinion, Powerful but Bloated – Is It Still the Best Tool for the Job?

Lucas Fernandes Ferreira | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel is widely used across multiple applications in my organization, including technical specifications, planning, and general team management. It is a highly flexible software that enables seamless database integration with other tools, making it one of its most powerful features. Additionally, Microsoft Excel facilitates the easy management and consultation of small to mid-sized databases.

Pros

  • Creation and management of small to mid databases
  • Data analysis and visualization (charts, tables, etc)
  • Database exporting, importing and migration
  • Project Management and task control

Cons

  • The online version has really low performance
  • Lacks a simplified UI for most use cases (as Google Sheets do)
  • Poor performance on collaboration and multiple users
  • Lacks useful, online integrated tools (as translation, stock prices, etc)
  • When people know how to use it, may replace many more expensive tools
  • Without another option, is essential for most businesses
  • Is a single solution for all departments (can be used by engineering, HR, sales...)
  • For more "casual" uses (most of them) has less productivity than its competitors
In my opinion, over the years, Microsoft Excel has become increasingly cluttered, with a poorly optimized and low-performance UI. Unfortunately, I think this reflects a broader trend in Microsoft products, where legacy features are piled onto new (and often questionable) additions, resulting in a convoluted interface that hinders productivity rather than enhancing it. I think even non-direct competitors like Canva are surpassing Microsoft Excel in usability and attracting a surprising number of users.
Microsoft Excel has its "niche" use cases, but it was the other way around. Its been many years since Microsoft Excel became the niche, while Google Sheets now is the mainstream data analysis application. I use Microsoft Excel today only because I am forced by my company to do so, but I would really like to go back using Google Sheets.

Do you think Microsoft Excel delivers good value for the price?

Not sure

Are you happy with Microsoft Excel's feature set?

No

Did Microsoft Excel live up to sales and marketing promises?

No

Did implementation of Microsoft Excel go as expected?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy Microsoft Excel again?

No

Microsoft Excel is still a very useful tool, undisputed on "harder" environments where VBA and heavy automations are required. It also is suited for most regular applications, but as a productiveness application, currently is losing from many competitors that are committed to keep it simple. That being said, today I recommend for most "regular" users (that includes myself) to use its competitors.

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